The Expert Working Group on gTLD Directory Services (EWG) was established in February 2013 as a first step in fulfilling the ICANN Board's directive to help redefine the purpose and provision of gTLD registration data, and develop a potential new model to replace today's WHOIS system. The EWG published its Final Report in June 2014, which responded to these directives and detailed the EWG's recommendations to ICANN's President/CEO and Board of Directors for a next-generation Registration Directory Service (RDS) to replace the current WHOIS system. The EWG's work served as a foundation to help the ICANN community (through the Generic Names Supporting Organization, GNSO) create a new global policy for gTLD directory services.

The ICANN Board is now considering how to use the EWG’s Final Report as a foundation for Board-requested GNSO Policy Development Processes (PDPs). This Working Group has been assembled to suggest next steps on the EWG Report and how to best structure the PDPs for success.